Julia D’Rozario ‘24
Staff Editor
Last Tuesday, September 28, Child Advocacy Research and Education (CARE) hosted a career panel for those interested in pursuing careers in child advocacy. The panel was moderated by Professor Crystal Shin, Director of the UVA Law Holistic Juvenile Defense Clinic, and featured three brilliant panelists: Michael Favale, Legislative and Policy Director at the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice; Kate Duvall, President and CEO of Piedmont Court Appointed Special Advocates; and Amy Walters, Attorney at the Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC) and Instructor in the UVA Law Youth Advocacy Clinic.
What does a career in child advocacy look like?
What struck me most from the panel is how diverse child advocacy really is. Issues affecting children intersect with the most pressing issues affecting society today: racial justice, disability rights, education rights, and policing, to name just a few. The panelists, despite their varied areas of work, echoed the sentiment that there is no “typical day” at work. There is no one-size-fits-all description of child advocacy! It could be a personal client experience—working closely with individual families, or changing the life of a child in need in an abuse case. It could be policy work—participating in legislative processes, reviewing procedures and regulations to make change on a large scale. It could also be working for the state, for a nonprofit organization, or in education.
Why child advocacy?
Despite the range of legal work and possible career paths available to those with an interest in child advocacy, one thing is clear: child advocacy is rewarding. Children are inherently vulnerable; advocating for them matters. The opportunity to be a voice for the vulnerable, and to connect with and be of service to the community was a source of motivation for all three panelists. As Mr. Favale eloquently put it, “the mission is helping the kids. I keep that as my North Star.”
What if I plan to work at a firm, but still want to get involved with child advocacy?
Child advocacy work is certainly possible for students with plans to start their careers in a law firm and eventually transition into public interest. The panelists emphasized that your career trajectory doesn’t have to be linear, and that it is possible to transition into child advocacy from other areas of work. For all students interested in a career in child advocacy, especially students with plans to eventually move from a firm job to a child advocacy job, the panelists suggested showing your interest in child advocacy on your resume. Get involved—join clinics, volunteer, and get practical experience wherever possible.
Even for students who plan to establish careers and remain in law firms, child advocacy work is within reach. You can do pro bono work within a law firm. LAJC, for example, often works with law firms and has law firm attorneys taking on cases and serving as board members. You can volunteer as a lawyer, and even as a student; CASA has roughly 900 programs across the country, and accepts volunteers from all professional backgrounds and levels of experience. When applying for jobs, do your research! Ask about pro bono opportunities in firm interviews, and choose firms that align as much as possible with your desire to get involved with advocacy work.
CARE is open to students with all levels of interest in child advocacy. Whether you want to pursue a career in the field or just want to learn more about how you can become a voice for children, CARE welcomes you!
To learn more about careers and volunteer opportunities in child advocacy, reach out to the panelists:
Kate Duvall, President and CEO of Piedmont CASA: kduvall@pcasa.org
Amy Walters, Attorney at LAJC and Instructor in the Youth Advocacy Clinic: amyw@justice4all.org
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jkd2dd@virginia.edu